Helena’s thoughts churned heavily.

  Andrew… wasn’t that her father’s name?

  She might have forgotten the name of her hometown for a moment, but she had never forgotten her family or what happened before she ended up on Earth. That part of her memory was still unshakably clear. Her father’s name had definitely been Andrew. Back when she was transported to Earth, the date in her original world had been the year 436. On Earth, the year had been 2120. And when she finally returned here, it had been 2241 on Earth.

  A difference of 121 years.

  Her father had been a middle-aged man back then, a person who had already been ruling the Winterwell family for decades. If he was the current head of the family now, that meant he would be more than one hundred and fifty years old.

  But humans did not live that long.

  Helena frowned.

  Was her father actually an elf? Or perhaps of some long-living race?

  No. She was certain he had been human. Humans could occasionally live exceptionally long lives if blessed, but they certainly wouldn’t still be capable of ruling a noble house or managing lands at such an age.

  Maybe… the current head was simply a descendant who inherited the same name as her father. That was the most reasonable explanation.

  Still, Helena wanted to be sure.

  She asked Rob, "Mr. Rob, who is his wife?"

  Rob tapped his chin. "If I remember correctly, her name is Seraphina. Lady Seraphina Winterwell."

  Helena froze.

  That was impossible.

  Seraphina was her mother’s name.

  How could that be?

  Her thoughts spun rapidly.

  Had her family discovered a method to extend human lifespan?

  Some secret technique? Some ancient magic?

  She looked again at Rob and asked, "Mr. Rob, just one last question."

  Rob nodded respectfully. "If I know, I will definitely answer."

  "What year is it right now?"

  Both Rob and the assistant girl stared at her in surprise. They were expecting a deep or secretive question, but instead she asked the year.

  Rob replied, "According to the Empire Calendar, it is the year 443."

  Helena went still.

  Her mind turned crystal clear.

  Year 436 was when she fell into the crack.

  Now it was year 443.

  Only seven years had passed in this world.

  But she had lived more than a century on Earth.

  The only reason she hadn’t died of old age was because she was a Perfect Human, a being who did not age. She was immortal. But clearly, time flowed differently between worlds.

  It was a tremendous shock.

  There had been a time during the apocalypse when she longed desperately to return to this world. But as decades passed on Earth, she eventually believed that everyone here would have forgotten her, that her existence would have vanished.

  Yet… only seven years had passed.

  But even with this revelation, an important thought surfaced.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Did it matter?

  The answer came without hesitation.

  No.

  Not one bit.

  It wasn’t as if she was happy her family was still alive. She didn’t care about them. She had simply been the Winterwell family’s pawn, a political tool for marriage. They had never cared about her happiness. They had cared only for reputation and influence.

  Helena muttered quietly, "Family my ass. My only family is Joseph and Hana… not those scums."

  The assistant blinked. "Miss Helena… did you say something?"

  Helena gave a light smile. "Nope."

  The assistant decided she must have heard wrong. After all, who would openly insult a noble house?

  Helena resumed eating her soup.

  A moment later, she asked, "What is your name?"

  The assistant choked on her food, coughing desperately until Helena rubbed her back and handed her water.

  The girl gasped, "I’m so sorry for the trouble."

  "It’s fine," Helena said gently.

  The assistant wiped her mouth. "My name is Laysandra. I work under Mr. Rob."

  Helena repeated softly, "Laysandra… a noble-sounding name."

  Laysandra gave an embarrassed smile. "My parents liked noble names, so they named me that."

  "It is a lovely name," Helena said.

  Laysandra blushed slightly. "Your name is also beautiful."

  "Thank you," Helena replied with a warm smile.

  After they finished eating, people began to settle down for the night. Jinn was arranging night watch shifts, deciding who would stay awake and who would rest.

  Helena walked over to him.

  "Jinn, which shift will I take?"

  Jinn quickly waved his hands.

  "No, no. You don’t have to join the watch. We have enough people. Please rest. Traveling alone must have tired you."

  Helena smiled. "Thank you, Jinn."

  She returned to her spot, ready to use her ability to form a simple sleeping area. But before she could, Laysandra approached her shyly.

  "Helena… do you want to sleep with us?"

  Helena had told her to speak casually, so Laysandra did not hesitate. And she had noticed earlier that Helena carried no luggage or bedding, meaning she had probably been sleeping on the ground.

  Helena paused and allowed the ability she was forming to disperse.

  "I would love to," she said.

  In her mind she thought,

  A girl sleepover… I haven’t had one in years.

  She followed Laysandra into the tent.

  ---

  It was midnight.

  Everyone except the night watch was asleep inside their tents. Helena and Laysandra shared one with two other girls. All were sleeping peacefully.

  Except Laysandra.

  Because Helena, in her sleep, was using her as a body pillow.

  Laysandra had woken a few minutes earlier after feeling something warm and firm wrapped around her. When she opened her eyes, she found Helena clinging to her like a snake wrapped around prey. Both arms and one leg were tightly secured around her.

  Laysandra nearly squealed.

  She whispered, "Helena… Helena… please wake up…"

  But Helena didn’t move at all. She was in a deep, deep sleep.

  Laysandra wiggled slightly, pushing Helena’s arm.

  Nothing.

  She whispered helplessly, "She’s too strong… she’s too strong…"

  Trying harder didn’t help. It was like trying to escape from iron restraints. Helena didn’t budge even a millimeter.

  Unable to move, Laysandra looked at Helena’s face. She found herself staring. Helena’s skin looked flawless in the faint light, smooth like porcelain. Even asleep, she was stunning. Laysandra glanced at Helena’s short hair and imagined if she grew it long… she would look like a princess from a fairytale.

  Then Helena muttered softly in her sleep.

  "Hanaa… why don’t you sleep with mom…? Hanaa… come back…"

  Laysandra blinked rapidly.

  Mom? Hana?

  Does Helena… have a child?

  Is she missing her daughter?

  In this world, women often married young. Helena could easily have a child or even more. And Helena’s tone, filled with gentle longing, made Laysandra smile.

  She must love her daughter very much.

  For a moment, Laysandra forgot she was trapped in an unbreakable hold. She was about to drift back to sleep when suddenly, a loud shout pierced the quiet night.

  "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

  The peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly.

  ---

  A few minutes earlier, outside the tents, Jinn and several Black Hawk members tended the bonfire. These were the ones assigned to night watch. They fed dry branches into the flames and chatted quietly.

  One scout, a sharp-eyed man named Krome, finally spoke.

  "Boss… was it really a good idea to let that woman stay here?"

  Krome was an A-Rank scout, though not because of his combat skill. His instincts and danger sense were extraordinary, far surpassing ordinary scouts and even many adventurers stronger than him.

  Jinn poked the fire and replied calmly,

  "It didn’t feel like she had any bad intentions."

  Krome shook his head slightly.

  "But when I looked at her, I felt something extremely dangerous."

  His spine tingled as he remembered that moment.

  In a past large-scale quest, he had laid eyes upon the S-Rank Black Hydra, a terrifying monster whose presence alone could make men freeze. And yet, he had not felt the same danger he felt when Helena approached them earlier.

  This was the reason he had warned Jinn and why their people hadn’t attacked her immediately. If it had been any other person approaching the camp at night, they would have shot first and asked questions later. But Krome had told Jinn to wait.

  Jinn trusted him, so they had chosen negotiation. It turned out Helena only wanted a safe place to sleep.

  Jinn thought,

  If we had attacked her… how many of us would have died?

  Before he could continue the thought, Krome suddenly stiffened. His instincts flared violently.

  He raised his head sharply.

  His hand moved to his blade.

  "Boss," Krome said, voice low and tense, "we are under attack."

  Jinn and the others instantly tightened their grips on their weapons.

  "From where?" Jinn asked.

  Krome’s answer made everyone’s blood run cold.

  "All directions."

  Jinn reacted instantly.

  "Wake everyone. Now. We prepare for battle."

  One member sprinted toward the tents, shouting the alarm.

  Within seconds, chaos and urgency filled the camp. Non-combatants hid in carriages. Fighters armed themselves. Shields rose. Mages prepared spells. The Black Hawk Clan formed a tight defensive circle.

  Jinn stepped forward, staring into the darkness.

  From the tall grass… dozens of glowing yellow eyes appeared.

  Night Wolves.

  So many that the shadows themselves seemed alive.

  Jinn exhaled sharply.

  "There are too many…"

  Night Wolves were intelligent C-Rank predators, dangerous when grouped. But tonight, this wasn’t a pack.

  This was a siege.

  Krome returned to Jinn’s side.

  "It’s bad, boss. More than two hundred Night Wolves."

  Jinn felt cold sweat drip down his temple.

  "More than two hundred? Are you sure?"

  Krome nodded grimly.

  "And not just them. There are high-rank variants too."

  Jinn’s eyes scanned the distance.

  Night Wolves normally lived in packs of twenty to thirty. They never gathered in massive numbers unless something—or someone—unified them.

  Then Jinn saw them.

  Three wolves sitting slightly apart from the rest. Larger. More regal. More threatening.

  The one in the middle stared directly at him with chilling intelligence.

  That gaze… almost mocking.

  Jinn’s expression hardened.

  "That one… that’s not a normal Night Wolf."

  This wolf was enormous compared to the rest. The two flanking it were also larger and carried commanding auras.

  A Night Wolf King.

  And two Night Wolf Queens.

  This explained everything.

  A Night Wolf King was an A-Rank monster.

  A Night Wolf Queen was B-Rank.

  And the King had clearly taken over multiple smaller packs, merging them into one massive army.

  Jinn tightened his grip on his sword.

  He had fifty fighters.

  The rest were civilians.

  The wolves numbered more than two hundred.

  Their average strength was C-Rank.

  His group’s average was also C-Rank.

  They couldn’t outrun Night Wolves.

  They were surrounded.

  There was no escape.

  Jinn inhaled slowly.

  They had no choice.

  They had to fight.